For a long time, Tate McRae only enchanted her fans with her music on YouTube. But it’s probably only a matter of time before the 18-year-old conquers the charts. With her powerful voice and a mix of pop and ballads, she speaks to the soul of many young women.
In 2003, Tatum Rosner McRae, better known as Tate McRae, was born in Calgary, Canada, a true all-rounder. If you do the math carefully, you will notice that this young woman is not older than 18. However, despite her young age, McRae has gained recognition in various artistic fields. Now the singer and dancer has released her first long player with “I Used To Think I Could Fly”.
At a young age and with her mother as her teacher, she ventured into the world of ballet – with success. McRae is already performing in dance competitions at the age of eight, winning Best Young Dancer at the Dance Awards in 2013, 2015 and 2018. “I was always very competitive. I set myself goals and felt the need to achieve them,” says Tate McRae in an interview with ntv.de. In 2016 she appeared on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show”, shortly afterwards she came third in the US dance show “So You Think You Can Dance”. But not only that, she also appears in the music video for “Rule the World” by Walk Off The Earth and on Justin Bieber’s “Purpose World” tour.
However, she did not come to music, as one might think, through her compatriot Bieber, but through writing. “I’ve always loved writing, poetry and stories. It helps me get through things I’m going through mentally. With singing, I communicate what I’ve written.” The texts are in English. Because although Tate McRae’s mother comes from Germany – the German language is not one of her many talents. “I can only count from one to ten,” admits the 18-year-old with a laugh.
As of 2017, Tate McRae writes songs, sets them to music, accompanies them on the piano and uploads them to YouTube in her children’s room. Her first song, “One Day”, not only reached more than 30 million views over time, but also caught the attention of the label RCA Records, with whom she released the EP “All the Things I Never Said” shortly afterwards. The pop record’s lead single, “Tear Myself Apart,” was written by none other than Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas. Other songs, including “You Broke Me First” and “Rubberband”, get millions of clicks. Tate McRae now has around four billion views.
Success soon drew the Canadian to the neighboring country to the south. Tate McRae finishes high school online and moves from Calgary to California to really get started. “I didn’t know at all what kind of industry it was,” says McRae to ntv.de. The release of singles and an album have nothing to do with each other. “A long player tells a story from start to finish. It takes a lot more time and skill to do that. And it takes a lot more thinking.” Her music falls somewhere between her young colleagues Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo.
Though she has little experience, McRae says she had a lot of “control” in the making of “I Used To Think I Could Fly.” “I made a lot of my own decisions about what was good and what wasn’t. Narrowing it down was the hardest part. But the writing process was really fun.” The hard work has paid off as the 18-year-old is now on tour to showcase her new music to the world. After a few performances in the US, UK and Australia, she will be touring with Sean Mendes for two months.
She can’t say which song she’s most proud of on her new record, “because they all represent something different.” She is most proud of “the versatility”. However, “I Hate Myself” was the most difficult song to write. “It’s the most vulnerable song and it’s really personal. I wrote it the same night I broke up with my ex.” In general, all of their songs are personal, says McRae. If she hasn’t experienced something herself, she doesn’t even know “where I should get my inspiration from”. With her authentic coming-of-age lyrics she speaks from the heart of her fans. Their acceptance of the pain of separation is empowering, otherwise this mostly oozes strength and confidence and has the potential to soon dominate the charts.
In addition to music, she recently had to learn “to be human,” says McRae in an interview with ntv.de. Eventually she moved to the City of Angels alone, her parents and brother continue to live in Canada. “I had to take responsibility and get a grip on my life: figuring out how to live alone and not being lonely. Trying to manage relationships and navigating the good and bad in Los Angeles.” She doesn’t have many friends, but she does have good ones. Some of them are also active in the music industry. “We support each other. It’s really nice to have people like that in your life.”
